Say You Won't Let Go
by thatpotterfan
Summary: How did James and Lily fall in love? The unexplored story is right here! Title credits to James Arthur
1. Prologue

**Say You Won't Let Go**

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading! So I'm currently obsessed with this song (check it out. Right. Now.), which is why it's my story title. I'm not plagiarizing, I'm just in love.

" _When you looked over your shoulder_

 _For a minute, I forget that I'm older_

 _I wanna dance with you right now_

 _Oh, and you look as beautiful as ever_

 _And I swear that everyday you'll get better_

 _You make me feel this way somehow"_

 _-James Arthur "Say You Won't Let Go"_

* * *

It was a Sunday morning. The interior and exterior of the castle were both giving off an aura of excitement, but a gloominess was rested permanently upon all the occupants of the castle. Inside the Great Hall, the banners, which depicted the Ravenclaw crest, seemed out of place, a memorandum to normality. The ceiling that depicted the weather outside was bright and sunny, which seemed to mock the dark mood that was gripping everything.  
The four tables that divided each house were half full. Anxious parents had shown up to pick up their children in fear of the inevitable war. The little conversation being made by the teachers and students around the hall seemed forced and hushed.  
Most people had given up hope on even Dumbledore, who was seated, gravely, at the Staff table, looking venerable, yet older than ever. The few auburn colored strands of hair left in his gray beard were slowly graying and his face was lined with years of stress. He stood up, his dull purple robes swishing behind him, and held a hand up to stop the conversations.  
"Another year has passed," he began. His voice sounded hoarse but there was a determination that nobody's voice had achieved. "We have faced sorrows and losses. Yet, amidst the grave mood that has gripped each and every one of us, goes on. We fight, we fall in love, and we strengthen our bonds. And if life goes on, the enemy cannot win. So with these few words of, forgive me, wisdom, let the feast begin."  
Dumbledore waved his hand and food began to appear on the plates. Some students piled up food on their plates, some ignored it. If there was no war, the silence would have felt like serendipity. Right now, it seemed right for the moment. In the corner of the Gryffindor table, however, the silence was broken by the shouts of one girl.  
"Save your breath, Snape!" she yelled spitefully. Her green eyes flashed as she turned her back on the greasy-haired teenager she was arguing with and sat back down with a thump. A little distance away from her sat a boy with messy hair and glasses, who couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked, even in anger.  
"Staring again, Prongs?" asked his handsome best friend.  
"No," the boy averted his gaze from the girl's fiery hair.  
"Just give up, James," his best friend advised, "it's never going to happen anyways. Besides, any girl would go out with you."  
"But he only wants to go out with Lily," said the boy, sympathetically, across from them. He looked rather peaky; the previous day had been a full moon.

"Are we going to do a prank next year?" asked the plump boy sitting next to the peaky looking boy.

"If Hogwarts is still open," said James glumly.

"And if I'm not Head Boy," warned the peaky looking boy.

"Yeah, Remus becoming Head Boy is real important," teased James's best friend.

"Oh shut up, I have a reputation to live up to," Remus fired back.

And Dumbledore's words seemed to be true. Despite the dark mood and sadness that hovered over everyone, life went on.

* * *

 **A/N:** I know that was short. I'll make the rest much much MUCH longer, but this was a kind of Prologue, so thanks for reading! Fave/follow and see you next time! XO thatpotterfan


	2. Chapter 1

**Say You Won't Let Go**

 **A/N:** Hey! Thanks for stopping by! And guys, I got 100 views on the Prologue! In one day! That's tso exciting and it makes me really happy! I got a few PM's regarding the POV's for this story. I'll try to alternate in the middle of chapters, if that makes any sense whatsoever. You'll see. Here's Chapter One:

" _I knew I loved you then_

 _But you'd never know_

 _'Cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go_

 _I know I needed you_

 _But I never showed_

 _But I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old_

 _Just say you won't let go_

 _Just say you won't let go_ "

 _-James Arthur "Say You Won't Let Go"_

When the remains of food vanished and desert was over, the familiar scuffling sound broke out throughout the Great Hall. The Slytherin table was first to leave, their procession led by a slightly plump Professor Slughorn. Then, the Hufflepuffs exited, led by Professor Sprout. The Ravenclaws exited with Professor Flitwick, his usual beaming nature absent. Finally, the Gryffindors bustled out of the Hall. Professor McGonagall, the Gryffindor head of house, although strict and not normally displaying weakness, looked very tired and older than ever.

"Your luggage has been brought to the train for you," she announced, "the carriages are waiting outside."

With this abrupt statement, Professor McGonagall left the Gryffindor students waiting in the lobby. After a few hesitant seconds, they exited the school.

The horseless carriages were waiting for them as usual. Lily jumped into a carriage with Dorcas, Marlene, Mary, and Alice Longbottom.,

"Do you think you're going to come back next year?" asked Mary tentatively, gazing wistfully at Hogwarts.

"I will," Dorcas replied, "why?"

"I don't think my dad wants me to come," Mary looked crestfallen. Her mother, a half-blood witch, was killed by a Death Eater the previous year. Her father, a Muggle born, had only let Mary attend Hogwarts because he knew Mary's mother would not have wanted her daughter to not have her magical education.

"Hogwarts is the safest place," Marlene commented, "your dad'll understand."

"Do you think it's safe anymore?" questioned Mary.

"We have Dumbledore," Dorcas reassured Mary. "He was the only one You-Know-Who ever feared," she reminded.

"How about you, Lily? Are you going to come back?" Alice asked.

"Definitely," Lily beamed, "my parents would never want me to go to a Muggle school anyways."

"Some people are going to other schools, though," Marlene said.

"Yeah, I heard Rhea's going to Mahoutokoro," Dorcas gossiped. Rhea was a pompous Gryffindor, and she was one of Sirius's former girlfriends.

"Not many people will be sorry for _her_ ," Marlene scowled. Marlene had liked Sirius ever since her first year. Ever since her fourth year, when she had confided in her three best friends, she had been trying to get his attention. He never noticed her, to her intense embarassment and dissapointment. Her angry face turned to a face of fear and shock: the carriages lurched forwards and soared upwards.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Lily said dreamily, looking down at the castle below them. Lily was right: the view _was_ breathtaking.

The five girls watched the grounds of Hogwarts disappear as they flew towards Hogsmeade Station, wondering whether they would ever return. The girls were distracted by loud sounds from the carriage behind them.

James Potter and Sirius Black were laughing. Their friend Peter Pettigrew was laughing nervously along with them, and Lily doubted he even knew what he was laughing at. Remus Lupin, however, was frowning at the three boys.

Remus Lupin was the most sensible boy out of those four friends in Lily's opinion. He had been a Gryffindor Prefect with Lily ever since fifth year, and he was most likely to get Head Boy.

"They are so _annoying_ ," Lily rolled her eyes and glanced at Dorcas, who was grinning at the sight of them. "What?" Lily glared at Dorcas, "they are!"

"They _are_ funny," Dorcas argued.

"Pranking the whole school on the first _and_ last day of Hogwarts?" Lily scrunched up her nose, remembering how they had set off ten cratefuls of Dungbombs underneath the Slytherin table on the second to last day of sixth year.

"Turning all the corridors into rivers on Easter," Dorcas beamed reminiscently.

"Shut up," Lily slapped her best friend on her arm.

The carriages were slowly descending downwards onto the platform of Hogsmeade Station. On the tracks was a merry looking, puffing red train with the words: HOGWARTS EXPRESS emblazoned upon it. Students were jumping off the carriages and onto the train.

"We'd better hurry if we want to find a compartment," Marlene warned.

"I'm sitting in a compartment with Frank today," Alice declared, then proceeded to hug each of her friends in turn. "I'll see you next year!" she smiled, then ran off to find Frank.

"A _private_ compartment," Dorcas sniggerd.

The girls got on the train and found an empty compartment. They sat down upon the chintz seats and waited for the train to move.

"It's been twenty minutes," Dorcas said impatiently after twenty minutes, "is this train ever going to move?"

As a response to Dorcas's statement, the train lurched forwards. Marlene, who had the window seat, looked outside at the platform, which was covered in brightly shining sun. A few house elves were on the platform having just carried a load of people's rucksacks and luggage.

Dorcas stretched her legs out and rested her feet upon the opposite seat. Just then, the compartment door opened. After registering who was standing in the threshold, Lily, who was sitting closest to the door, moved to an empty seat next to the window.

"Ah, come on Evans, I'm not that bad," James Potter grinned at her, leaning against the doorframe.

Lily ignored him.

"Prongs, if you don't move right now-," started a handsome boy standing behind James. Marlene promptly blushed and focused her gaze on a spot outside the window. James and Sirius stepped into the compartment first, then Remus and finally, a slightly huffing Peter Pettigrew.

"All right if we sit here?" James asked, keeping his gaze on Lily's turned back.

"There were no other compartments," Remus added apologetically.

"Sure," Dorcas agreed. Lily turned around solely to glare at her, then started talking to Mary.

"Had a good term?" Dorcas asked the four boys.

"Yeah," Sirius, James, and Remus chorused.

"Possibly," Peter said in a small voice, moments after his friends answered Dorcas's question.

James and Sirius guffawed.

"How about _you_ , Lily? How was your term?" James asked her, a smirk on his face. He knew full well she had performed very well in all her classes.

"Better than _yours_ ," Lily retorted, not turning her head to glance at James. "Remus, do you think you'll get Head Boy?" Lily started a conversation with Remus. James looked scandalized.

"I'm not sure," Remus shrugged.

"Yeah, Remus is really dumb, _of course_ he won't be Head Boy," Dorcas raised an eyebrow and sniggered at her friend's modesty.

"Lily's going to be Head Girl," Mary announced, "the teachers love her."

Lily noticed that James was still messing up his hair. He had never ceased to do so in fifth year, and she hadn't paid any attention to him in sixth yeaer. She noticed that his hair-ruffling habit was most prominent when he looked at her. Rolling her eyes, she looked out of the window.

Half an hour later, the trolley witch came by with her usual treats. "Anything off the trolley dears?" Lily noticed her hair was grayer than ever. Her face had newfound wrinkles and she looked rather emaciated. Yet she still beamed and pushed the trolley.

"I'll have-," James and Sirius began, but the trolley witch stopped them with an amused glint in her eyes.

"The whole lot," she finished for them, handing them the whole lot of sweets that she offered. "Anything for you, dears?" she glanced at everyone else.

"I'll have a Pumkin Pasty, please," Lily asked.

"Can I have twenty seven Chocolate Cauldrons, please?" Dorcas requested. The trolley witch handed out exactly twenty seven Chocolate Cauldrons and on Pumpkin Pasty and collected the money, then proceeded to the next trolley, calling her familiar greeting.

About half an hour later, the train came to a halt. The seven passengers in Compartment C-2 exited, their stomachs feeling quite full due to an overload on sweets. They walked out onto Platform 9 and ¾ where they saw their families waiting for them.

"Bye Lily!" James waved to his red-haired hopeful future girlfriend. She glared at him. James walked away with Sirius, and they Apparated to their home.

"See you, Lily," Dorcas thumped her friend on the shoulder, then ran off to meet her parents. Alice, Lily noticed, was still with Frank.

"Bye Lil," Mary and Marlene chorused, then walked off to their respective families. Lily saw Mary's dad's face for a glimpse of a second; he looked angry.

"Lily!" Lily's mom, Beatrice, engulfed her daughter in a big hug, "how was your term?"

"It was alright," Lily replied, "but gloomy. But I'm going back."

"That's my girl," Lily's father, David, embraced her.

"Hi Tuney," Lily squirmed out of the group hug and greeted her sister.

Petunia Evans had changed in the last term. She had just completed her second year of university. Her straight brown hair, which had always been tightly wrapped in a bun, now shot down her back. She wore a light layer of makeup, a shirt emblazoned with the symbol of some Muggle designer brand, a skirt, and heels.

Her face had an obviously false smile on it. Her eyes remained cold.

"Hello, Lily," Petunia didn't even look at Lily while she was talking.

"Let's go," David announced, oblivious to his elder daughter's coldness. They walked through the barrier, onto Kings Cross, and down to the parking lot.

The family sat down in their compact car. Lily placed her two trunks, rucksack, and cauldron at the back, then sat down on one of the ripping seats.

She stared out of the window as the car moved, watching the platform disappear into nothingness.

 **A/N:** I am fully aware that chapter was awful, dragged on, and super boring. And I posted it a month late. I'm sorry. I'll try to post twice a month from now on and I'll actually sit down in one place and do it rather than in different places. Untill next two-weeks!


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